Princess of the Aisu
by Goldberry
Summary: Two strangers, a girl with a painful secret and a boy with a silent past, are drawn together by the majestic power of the ice. [AU][1xR,2xH]
1. Arrival

The smell of ice.   


It was a tangible thing in and of itself, curling around him as his blades carved slender pathways through it, ice drift spraying as he came to a halt. It was a cold, metallic smell that held a great silence in its heart, holding him still in the center of the rink as he took it in, his mind merging with it. This oneness with the ice was a talent of his, it always had been. The ice called to him, and he always came. A never-ending cycle he had no intention of breaking.   


Other skaters drifted past him, the slender lines of their bodies moving in a slow dance as they turned and twisted, their minds occupied with the music playing through the loudspeakers. A vortex of flashing blades and the sound of steel and ice moving around him until he stood alone amidst a whirlwind of activity.   


The oneness.   


With the grace of a natural born skater, he pushed forward, avoiding other skaters with instinct, as he took the curves of the rink swiftly. In the space of a few heartbeats, another figure joined him, aligning with him in unspoken communication. He allowed it, but secretly disliked the intrusion. The ice was singing to him, an only to him. The others could not hear it, especially her.   


She lifted her hand and he took it, as was his duty, and they turned as one, moving into their routine with a confidence that came with long hours of practice. They danced together, moving away only to rejoin seconds later to the beat of the music and their own heartbeats. When it ended, and their movements halted, he moved away, ignoring the glare she threw at him for embarrassing her. Slyvia was always conscious of what other people thought, and she was constantly angry with him when he showed he did not care. They were partners, after all, they were supposed to work together.   


Yet, he could never bring himself to trust her.   


She did not hear the song.   


* * * *   


"Hey, Heero!"   
  
He did not turn his head as he threaded his way through the crowded halls of the community college, his book bag thrown carelessly over one shoulder. Behind him, he heard a number of muttered curses as his best friend, Duo Maxell, pushed past several students to catch up with him.   


Duo ignored their glares and simply gave them his best, most charming smile and they immediately relented, smiling back. Duo always had that effect on people. No matter what situation he was in or how much trouble he had caused, he could always get himself out again with a cheerful smile and a flash of his violet eyes.   


Rearranging the books in his arms and throwing his long braid over his shoulder, Duo nudged Heero in the ribs with his elbow. "Hey, I heard about your practice with Slyvia this morning. Do you think you could be a little subtler? She's the most popular girl in school. You know her word is law around here. She can destroy you with a single sentence." Duo paused and then shrugged. "Not that you care about your reputation anyway, but I'm your best friend! Don't you care what people think of me for hanging out with you?"   


Heero entered his world history class, ignoring Duo, and found his seat in the second row. Duo plopped down beside him, giving a loud sigh, and wearing a long-suffering expression. "Don't you at least want to know what she said about you?"   


"No, but your going to tell me anyway."   


Duo grinned, happy he had gotten his stoic friend to speak. "She's saying that you're holding her back. She's having it spread around that she's looking for a new partner."   


Heero finally met Duo's gaze, his dark eyes expressionless. "And everyone believes her?"

"Well, her mother does fund the skating club."

"Exactly."

Duo frowned but the professor walked in and he was stopped from making a remark. Silently blessing the timely interruption, Heero got out his book as other students shuffled papers and zipped book bags. The professor greeted them and was about to the start the lecture when the room doors opened and in walked a strange girl.

She was pretty, in a serene sort of way, with long gold hair and eyes the color of the summer sky. She walked with a lithe grace that drew all eyes to her, and a blush stained her cheeks at the attention as she handed a note to the teacher. Duo whistled under his breath.

"Wow."

The teacher cleared his throat. "Class, we have a new student. This is Relena Darlian. She just moved here from London, so please make her feel welcome." He paused as students applauded in greeting. "Relena, why don't you take the empty seat in the front row?"

The new girl nodded and took her seat in front of Heero, the smell of her perfume traveling up to him: honeysuckle. The scent teased him and he found himself wondering about her. There was a mysterious air about her that intrigued him. 

Unfortunately, it intrigued every male within a mile radius.

By noon, she had been approached by five potential dates, and turned them all down. This, of course, only raised her appeal, and four more soon-to-be-broken-hearts asked her out. All failed. The male population was in an uproar. Who was this girl? Why was she so quiet? What secrets were held within the depths of her beautiful eyes?

No one yet knew the answers.

"I can't believe it! Every guy is after her! You'd think they'd never seen a girl before!" Hilde Scheibeker exclaimed, her dark eyes annoyed. Hilde was a year younger than Duo and had been his girlfriend for at least that long. She had a devil-may-care nature just like Duo, making them perfect partners in crime. Their constant practical jokes and pranks made them the life of every party. To the teachers, it just made them the class clowns. "I don't understand it!"

"Everyone wants the unattainable," commented Quatre, as they sat around their lunch table. Quatre was a quiet, peaceful boy with silken white-blonde hair and startling blue-green eyes that simply radiated tranquility. He was the serious one of the group and the most sensitive. 

"Still," Hilde said, "they should give the poor girl a moment to breathe. It's only her first day of school!"

Duo shrugged. "Has anyone talked to her yet? I wonder if she has an accent."

"I talked to her for a moment in chemistry. She sounded perfectly American," Quatre said, gathering up his books for his next class. The rest followed his example. "Let's just hope she doesn't meet Slyvia today. Slyvia hates anything that might be competition, and I have a feeling that if she sees Relena, there's going to be trouble."

* * * * 

Relena breathed a sigh of relief as she unlocked the door to her house and threw herself down on the couch, her books falling to a heap on the floor. Immediately, her mother's voice sounded from the kitchen, the light tone carrying an undercurrent of anxiousness.

"Relena?"

"Yes, mama," she answered, pulling herself up from the couch and tucking errant strands of sunshine hair behind her ears. She went into the kitchen, breathing in the delicious smells of her mother's cooking, and gave the older woman a hug. 

"How was school? Do you like it there?"

She shrugged, "It's alright." She reached for an apple from the fruit bowl. Her mother glanced at her.

"Just alright?"

"It's not like Madame Siene's*."

Relena's mother frowned gently. "Relena--"

Relena cut her off. "I know, mama, I know. I need to have a positive outlook."

"The doctor said--" Again, Relena interrupted her.

"I *know*, mother, and I did absolutely no exercise today. I promise," she said, exasperated. "I'm going to go do my homework." She left the kitchen quickly, before her mother could question her, gathered up her books and headed for her room. Once there she fell backwards onto her bed, her hair surrounding her like a golden fan, and tried to blink back the tears that wanted to roll down her cheeks. 

"I hate it," she whispered to herself, raising a delicate hand to lay over her heart. The comforting beat under her palm lulled her and she closed her eyes, imagining herself far away from America, in a place she would never see again. 

After a moment, she pushed aside her silly daydreams and opened her history book.

* * * *

Madame Siene's: Fictional School of Dance that Relena used to attend.

Author's Note: Well, here is my new baby, 1xR as always. It's not going to be very long, probably about five chapters, just a breather while me and Meio-chan get "Remnants" together. I figured we could all use some sap anyway, though this chapter was a little dramatic. *wink* Don't worry, relative fluff ahead! Hope you all enjoyed, and Sable! I loved your chapter! MORE! *huggles to everyone*

Note: If you would like to be notified when I updated, leave your email in a review.

Please review…


	2. Meeting

"Heero, watch it! You're messing up my footwork."

  
  


Heero slid to a smooth stop, a small shower of snow gushing from his blades as he reined in his temper. When he was under control, he turned dark eyes to Sylvia who stood a few feet away, glaring at him. They had been practising their routine for an hour but Sylvia's attention had been wavering and it had taken a supreme effort on Heero's part just to keep them in rhythm. 

  
  


And now, Sylvia was blaming him.

  
  


He raked a hand through his hair impatiently and wondered what he was doing. He and Sylvia had never been able to work together, they just didn't…fit. She was too absorbed in herself to dance the ice properly, and he could not do it without a good partner. 

  
  


Breathing a quiet sigh, he turned his eyes away from her and glanced around the rink. Other couples practiced on the ice, dancing in isolated worlds of their own making. There were even a few lone figure skaters that moved in complicated patterns and awed watching students with spectacular jumps. He looked closer at the audience and found Duo waving to him enthusiastically from the stands. He didn't much like skating, but he liked to watch the way Heero and Sylvia got on each other's nerves. It made for good gossip around the lunch table. 

  
  


A flash of gold out of the corner of his eye drew his attention and he saw Relena Darlian standing hesitantly in the rink entrance, watching the skaters with what he could almost identify as longing. She held her books close to her chest, wisps of sun-colored hair drifting around her eyes with the draft air off the ice, everything about her giving off an air of vulnerability. He wondered at that, for she did not look like the type to want to be protected. What was she doing here?

  
  


"Is that the new girl? Relena Darlian?"

  
  


He didn't answer and Sylvia huffed. "I hear she turned down every guy who asked her out yesterday. Maybe she is as stupid as she looks…"

  
  


Unaccountably, Heero felt himself getting angry again. "Or maybe she has enough self-confidence not to say 'yes'." With that, he moved away, letting the ice take him to the edge of rink, Sylvia's angry retort following him. He ignored her, as unusual, and capped his blades, passing Relena as he made his way to the locker rooms. She was still there, her head tilted, watching the ice when he left for class. 

  
  


* * * * 

  
  


Relena shook her head at her self. What had she been thinking? And if her parents found out they would be worried all over again. But, it was not as if she had done anything dangerous, she had only gone to watch the skaters. It was so like dancing…and yet, it was different. The ice…it was so beautiful. She felt a rush of excitement again, just thinking about it. Her eyes sparkled and she felt like laughing. She missed physical activity, and the lack was starting to drive her crazy. She could not sleep at nights now, her restless body unable to lie still for more than a few minutes. Maybe, if she could just convince her parents--

  
  


Abruptly, she slammed into someone and reeled back, startled. "I'm sorry," she managed, before her eyes locked with a pair of midnight blue eyes and all thought left her. The boy she had run into was in one word: gorgeous. He had unruly dark hair and eyes that looked at her coldly, yet seemed to see all her secrets. Instinctively, she curled in on herself, bringing up her walls against his piercing stare.

  
  


"I'm sorry," she repeated, giving him an apologetic smile. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

  
  


He nodded once and went past her silently, never looking back. She watched him leave, feeling at odds. His gaze had unnerved her and she took a deep breath to steady herself. 

  
  


Immediately, there was a tightening in her chest and she gasped, raising one hand to grip the fabric of her shirt over her heart. She took deep, calming breaths and after a few moments, the pain receded, leaving her slightly lightheaded. 

  
  


What a fool she was! She shouldn't have gotten so excited over the notion of dancing again, if only on the ice. Her parents were right. 

  
  


Breathing in deeply again, she walked slowly to class, banishing any thoughts of the ice out of her mind.

  
  


* * * * 

  
  


Ice.

  
  


Silence.

  
  


A breathy mist of air.

  
  


The soft rasp of laces being tightened.

  
  


Steel against snow crystals,

  
  


and then…

  
  


movement.

  
  


The passing wind in his hair.

  
  


The pressing weight of quiet calm. 

  
  


Ice song.

  
  


He was alone on the ice, as he had always been, even with Sylvia by his side. He had grown accustomed to it, even welcomed it, for he had never known anything else, and how could you miss something you had never had? On the ice, he had no obligations, he could be free there, and if he had bothered to analyze if further, he would have realized it was the place where he felt his soul, his heart. When he skated, it was the expression of everything he always keep inside. An expression of himself. 

  
  


He was the dance.

  
  


Abruptly he stopped, his blades digging into the ice. She was there. Watching him. He lifted his head and met the hesitant tones of her sky-blue gaze. She gave an awkward little gesture, as if not sure of what to say and, to his surprise, he found himself skating over to her. The wind of his movement touching strands of her gold hair.

  
  


"I'm sorry," she said immediately, "I didn't mean to disturb you."

  
  


"You didn't," he replied, flatly, observing her. She blushed under his direct gaze. "What are you doing here? If you want to join the skating club, they only hold practices in the morning."

  
  


"I…I'm not…" She suddenly shook her head, her voice soft. "I don't know what I'm doing here." She turned to leave and he reached out and closed his hand around her wrist, stopping her. She looked back at him, startled. 

  
  


"Can you skate?" he asked, his face expressionless. She blinked.

  
  


"I don't know. I used to dance, but…" Her voice faltered and he noted the undertone to her words.

  
  


"What kind of dance?"

  
  


A pause. "Ballet."

  
  


He released her wrist, a detached part of his mind wondering at the silkiness of her skin. "Locker #48."

  
  


"What?"

  
  


"You came here to skate, didn't you?"

  
  


* * * *

  
  


She laced up her skates tightly, slightly off balance by the sudden turn of events. She had only come to the rink to be alone and to think about everything, she hadn't expected anyone to actually be there so late at night. Even less, for it to be Heero Yuy.

  
  


He sat behind her in history class and she had barely heard him say two words to his friend, Duo Maxwell, let alone anyone else. That he had spoken to her and invited her to skate with him was beyond thinking about. Her new friend, Hilde, had told her that he was a loner and antisocial at the best of times. Still, something in his eyes told her that there was more to him than what he let people see. Something…deep. It frightened her, the intensity if his gaze and movements, but it excited her, too. He was totally unlike any boy she had ever met. 

  
  


And she was about to skate with him. 

  
  


Taking a deep breath, she made her way to the ice's edge, looking to Heero as he watched her. There was no encouragement in his eyes, only a passive stare that erased all her worries in its neutrality. Slowly, she stepped out onto the ice.

  
  


It was different than she had thought it would be. Smooth and dangerous all at once, and yet, she was not afraid. Her years of dancing gave her perfect balance and she moved forward, making her way to where Heero stood waiting for her in the center of the rink. When she got there, she found out the hard way that she had no idea how to stop.

  
  


Heero caught her before she collided with him and steadied her with an arm around her waist. She blushed again as amusement flickered in his eyes.

  
  


"Don't use the front of your skates to stop. Use the edge." He moved away and demonstrated, looking up to make sure she understood. Nodding, she came to him again and stopped a foot away, smiling at her accomplishment. 

  
  


Without a word, he lifted his hand, the perfect symbol of invitation, and she took it gladly. They moved slowly at first, Heero always near her in case she began to waver, but after awhile, she began to grow more confidant, and Heero sped up their pace. They moved together across the ice, Heero never releasing her hand, in great loops and figure eights as she grew accustomed to the ice and the feel of it beneath her skates. As their patterns grew more complicated, she found herself becoming more and more exhilarated. She had missed doing any exercise of any kind and she found her body adapted to the new movements easily, falling back into the practices she had

developed in England. 

  
  


It was wonderful.

  
  


She was almost sad when Heero slowed and brought them around to the rink entrance, both of them breathing heavily from their work out. He said nothing to her, but his dark looks were enhanced by the half-smile he gave, his eyes locking with hers, before he turned and made his way to the locker room, leaving her alone with her thoughts…

  
  


…and wishes.

  
  


  
  


tbc…

  
  


* * * * 

  
  


Author's Note: Forgot to mention last time that there was going to be slight Sylvia bashing, he he. Sorry. Great big thanks to Riverdolphin on this chapter. You are the most wonderfulest beta reader in the world! Thanks for the help! I hope you know how great you are! 

  
  


Also, a big hug to the people of the Heero and Relena Mailing List. You guys crack me up!

  
  


Sable: As always, you are the greatest! *picks up a dust bunny* but don't make me wait too long for your next chapter or I will have to do something drastic! 

  
  


Lillia Karasu: *hugs* thanks so much for your review! It made me laugh! Thanks!

  
  


And to everyone else who reviewed, here's a cookie. *grin*

  
  


  
  


  
  


Please review…

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Truth

There was a war going on.

  
  


Not with swords, cannons, or guns. 

  
  


With words. 

  
  


Heero had told Sylvia that morning that he would no longer be partners with her and she proceeded to tell him exactly what she thought of him in the highest pitch anyone had ever heard. By noon, her screeching had become a famous speech and people were being to stage re-enactments. Sylvia glowered at everyone within two feet, Heero ignored it all, and Relena simply smiled nervously. 

  
  


After their late session on the ice, Heero had asked her to be his partner. She had been scared at first. He had been skating for years while she had only skated for an hour, and what would her parents say? Luckily, she had found an answer to that one. They could not stop her from doing something they didn't know about. She would simply tell them that she was going to a friend's house, or the library. Nice, safe activities, that most parents would applaud. 

  
  


There was only one problem. 

  
  


She would have to lie to them, and her conscience was nagging at her. On top of that, Heero would have to be kept in the dark about her condition, and she wasn't sure how long she could resist those dark eyes that missed nothing. Sooner or later, he would find out, and then what? What would all those lies be worth? Still, she hadn't been able to say no. They were partners now and he had asked her to practice with him after school. 

  
  


Partners.

  
  


She smiled to herself slightly. It had surprised her that he had asked her. He was levels above her, and yet, she knew he was more relaxed with her than with Sylvia. She had seen them practice once, and their dancing had been almost a battle of wills. There had been no cooperation, only a clash of strengths. Totally unlike what she had felt skating with Heero the night before. How could Sylvia not appreciated the feeling of flying with Heero by her side?

  
  


"Relena! Wait up!"

  
  


She glanced over her shoulder to spot Hilde running to catch up with her, dark hair flying. Relena smiled at her new friend. "Hey, what's going on?"

  
  


"Just wanted to warn you." Hilde puffed, out of breath. "Sylvia found out that Heero dumped her for you and she's a little…upset." A grimace gave the understatement to her words. Relena shrugged. 

  
  


"I'm not worried, Hilde. After all, Heero was the one to ask me. If anything, she should be furious with him."

  
  


"Oh, she is, extremely, but you're the one who took her place. That's not easy for her to swallow." Hilde's eyes twinkled. "But I must say, I never thought you had it in you. Thwarting the Queen like that."

  
  


Relena shook her head and smiled. "Well, it wasn't hard," she said, teasingly, "for a princess."

  
  


* * * * 

  
  


"Are you ready?" 

  
  


Relena looked up to see Heero waiting for her on the ice, strands of dark hair in his eyes. He looked comfortable and relaxed, despite the fact that she was so nervous she wasn't sure she had her skates on the right feet. Trying to smile bravely for him, she stepped out onto the ice by his side, feeling the cold stillness curl around her fingers. Heero looked at her a moment, seeming to sense her nervousness, and his voice echoed though the rink.

  
  


"To be partners, means we must have complete faith in each other," he said. Again, he reached out for her hand.

"Do you trust me?"

  
  


Her voice was soft when she answered. "Yes," and she took his hand. 

  
  


* * * * 

  
  


They practised together for weeks, learning each other's moves and gaining the other's trust. Relena became so in tune with Heero she could often anticipate what he wanted before he said it. They moved with the grace of pairs that had been skated together for years and all who saw it wondered at it. For his part, Heero had never felt more alive than when Relena was in his arms. She was lighter than Sylvia and she trusted him with the innocence of one who had never been betrayed. In return, he never so much as let her waver before he was by her side, giving her his support. They were a team.

  
  


They were partners.

  
  


Everyone thought so, except for one, and she watched them with jealous eyes. 

  
  


Then the night came that changed everything.

  
  


They had been practicing for about half an hour when Heero suggested they try a lift. Nothing elaborate, but he felt she was ready, so she agreed. They moved together, the wind tangling in their hair, and Heero slipped his arms around her waist and lifted her, with the smooth motion of corded muscles. Involuntarily, she gave a little cry of glee. Surely there was no other feeling like this in the world. And Heero was with her, as always, a solid wall of strength to her back. She trusted him blindly and knew it. Just as he trusted her. 

  
  


A flash of red out of the corner of her eye warned her. Someone slammed into Heero and he pitched forward, off balance and trying to recover. His right blade caught a rut in the ice and there was nothing he could do. He went down and so did she. 

  
  


Her unyielding support was suddenly gone and she had no time to cry out as she hit the ice, the air rushing out of her lungs, her vision flickering…

  
  


* * * * 

  
  


The moment he could breath again, he was on his feet, his body weaving back and forth at the sudden upright position. Though his body had not yet recovered from the hard fall, his mind had, and he felt anger course through him as his eyes settled on Sylvia who was skating away as fast as she could, the red skirt of her skating outfit whipping behind her. 

  
  


"Sorry!" she called over her shoulder, a mock expression of shock on her face. "I didn't see you."

  
  


He growled low in his throat and turned away from her, shutting her out of his life for good. Immediately he saw Relena sprawled across the ice and he went to her, his feet somehow getting him to her side though he felt very uncoordinated. He flung himself down beside her, calling her name, and felt his anxiety lessen as he saw that her eyes were open and she was breathing, if somewhat too fast. 

  
  


"Heero…" she gasped, "I can't…" She placed a hand over her heart and look of pain crossed her face. "…breath…please…"

  
  


"Relena, calm down. Take deep breaths," he told her, slipping his arms under her body and cradling her head in his lap. His fingers brushed over her scalp and he almost cried out with relief that she did not have a concussion. Damn Sylvia and her stupid games!

  
  


"Heero…please…" Relena was saying, breath coming harsh in her throat. Heero frowned. 

  
  


"Relena, where does it hurt? What is it?"

  
  


Her faced paled as her hand clenched over her chest and her eyes closed. "My…heart…"

  
  


In a flash, he scooped her up, avoiding the edges of her skates, and started for the rink entrance, shouting at anyone who could hear him. "Help! I need help!"

  
  


Relena groaned in his arms and he held her tighter. They were partners, they did everything together, and he would not leave her in this.

  
  


"Someone help!"

  
  


Hold on, Relena…

  
  


* * * * 

  
  


"That was a close call, Relena. I would hate to think what would have happen if that young man of yours hadn't gotten you here so quickly."

  
  


"Yes, Doctor, I know."

  
  


"Now as for your ice skating…well, you know what I'm going to say."

  
  


Quietly. "Yes."

  
  


"I'll leave it up to you to tell your parents, but I will tell you, another episode like this could be dangerous, Relena. Next time, you might not be so lucky."

  
  


"Is Heero still here?"

  
  


"He's just outside. He wouldn't stay in the Waiting Room so the nurses pulled up a chair for him in the hallway. You can see him now."

  
  


"Thank you."

  
  


"And…Relena?"

  
  


"Yes?"

  
  


"You'll have to tell him."

  
  


* * * * 

  
  


Heero stood the moment the door opened and his heart leapt as Relena emerged, pale and weary, but alive and breathing normally. She gave him a wane smile and he went to her side, standing carefully a few feet away. 

  
  


"Are you alright?"

  
  


Instead of nodding, she looked away, tears glittering in the corners of her eyes. "No, I'm not, Heero." When he remained impassive, she went on. "When I was little, I had rheumatic fever, it left me with a heart condition. The valves of my heart are weaker than a normal person's and sometimes it beats irregularly. 'Atrial fibrillation' they call it. Before I knew all this, I lived in Europe and went to school at a dance academy. I danced ballet for years when my heart stopped in the middle of a recital. My parents were frightened and they pulled me out of school and

moved here. They wanted me to forget." The tears rolled down her cheeks and he could barely restrain himself from going to her. "But I can't. Ballet was my life, and… I thought…maybe skating could be, too." She gave a sad little half-sob. "But I was wrong. I can't dance anymore, and I can't skate. I'm sorry, Heero."

  
  


She turned and hurried away, and for a moment, he was completed stricken as he watched her leave him behind. She was leaving him…

  
  


In a moment of instant decision, he strode after her, catching up to her in the hospital parking lot. He grabbed her waist and turned her around, forcing her to look at him. The moonlight turned the tears on her cheeks to diamonds and her golden hair to silver. Her eyes pleaded with him. 

  
  


"Heero, I'm sorry, but I can't…" 

  
  


"I don't care," he said, harshly, his eyes boring into hers. She blinked. 

  
  


"What?"

  
  


"I don't care, Relena. I don't care what your doctor says, or your parents." He reached up and smoothed a tear away with his thumb. "We're partners, we're in this together, and I won't let you give up." His voice softened. "You can do this, Relena. If you want it bad enough, you can do anything."

  
  


"Heero," she whispered.

  
  


He drew her gently into the protective circle of his arms, bent down, and pressed his lips gently against hers. She leaned into him and curled her arms around his neck as he kissed away her tears in the starlight.

  
  


It was only later that she realized he had given her something infinitely more precious.

  
  


Hope.


	4. Acceptance

Relena smoothed the skirt of her skating costume with trembling fingers as she peeked out at the small audience in the stands of the skating rink. Her sky blue eyes immediately settled on the two still figures of her parents. She could tell they were scared for her, they both looked worried and concerned, but she was proud of the way they had accepted the fact of her skating. The night before, Heero had walked her home and they had revealed everything to her parents. At first, she had been afraid that they would refuse to let her skate again, and she had reached out blindly for Heero's hand and he had been there, squeezing her fingers gently in comfort. Her parents had noticed the gesture and exchanged looks, linking hands themselves. They had then announced that she could continue skating as long as she could demonstrate that she wouldn't hurt herself, basically that Heero wouldn't let anything happen to her. He had bowed to them, accepting the mission, and now they were at the rink, preparing to prove to everyone and themselves that they could do it. 

Besides her parents, Duo, Hilde, and Quatre were in the stands, generally enjoying the suspense of waiting for them to appear. They were there solely for support and she smiled slightly at their loyalty. 

Two strong arms suddenly wrapped around her waist and she leaned back into the support that she knew would be there. When had she come to depend on him so?

"Are you ready?"

It was the question she had expected from him.

She smiled. "Yes."

* * * * 

The ice whirled by them and Relena found herself holding Heero's hand tightly. She was more than a little nervous. She knew that Heero believed in her, but she was beginning to wonder, did she believe in herself?

Heero did not even let her ponder it.

They moved in complicated patterns, drawing claps from their friends in the stands, the only sound beside the rasp of their blades against the ice. After a moment, Relena risked a glance at her parents and found them watching her, wide-eyed. What did they think? Did they approve?

She locked eyes with Heero and he nodded, their signal. And suddenly she was in the air, flying above the ice in the lift she had fallen from the previous day. Almost unconsciously, Relena looked around for Sylvia, and didn't find her. The rink was filled only with people she loved, and who loved her in return. The ice was hers. Hers and Heero's. 

Smiling, they stayed in the lift a moment longer but Relena touched back down to earth, Heero spinning them to a stop in the middle of the ice. Their breath misted in the air slightly as they got their breath and raised their eyes to the stands. 

For a moment, there was complete silence and then Mr. Darlian got to his feet and began to clap, prompting everyone to do the same, Duo letting out a couple of catcalls for good measure. 

Relena laughed in glee and threw her arms around Heero's neck in happiness, molding into him as he whirled her around in a circle. She trusted him, completely, and with his help, she knew she could do anything. Anything.

Relena smiled as they twirled.

And the ice sang.

THE END.

* * * * 

Well, that's it folks! Sorry for the short ending, but I wrapped up everything I wanted to and didn't see a reason to drag it out forever. So sable, are you okay? Still breathing? ^_^

Hope you all enjoyed! And I'll see you again in my next fic! *huggles*

Please review, if you are so inclined…


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